THE family of an injured pensioner are battling with healthcare bosses over what they believe to be a catalogue of errors.

Joseph Hayes’ family say he has been left with potentially irreversible injuries following two falls last year because it has taken months for the injuries to be diagnosed and treated.

Doctors from Colchester General Hospital said her dad’s excruciating knee pain was from a spinal operation 20 years ago and also sciatica, but claimed there was no sign of damage on his scans.

However, daughter Ria Heslop has since discovered from another hospital that the source of her dad’s pain was misdiagnosed.

She said: “Using the same scans taken at Colchester, I’ve had it confirmed my father had, and still has, acute bruising to the bone which is causing the extent of the pain.

“The upper thigh muscle has completely wasted and he has severe ligament damage which could have been avoided if the correct treatment was implemented three months ago.

“The orthopaedic consultant at Southend has now had my father fitted with a special knee brace, but his injuries are so bad they may never heal.”

Mr Hayes, 84, of Greenstead, Colchester, is now practically housebound, unable to bear weight on his leg, and the family has had to double up on his care.

He left hospital with a permanent catheter and Mrs Heslop says his experiences, plus the pain, have triggered hallucinations and impacted his previously-diagnosed dementia.

The family is considering taking further legal action against the hospital.

A spokesman for Colchester General Hospital Trust said: “Our investigation has been broadened after we received more information from Mr Hayes’ family after the initial complaint was made.

“This has meant the investigation will take longer than we first thought.

“We have let Mrs Heslop know and offered her the opportunity to meet with us in person to discuss.”

However, Mrs Heslop, said no offer has been made.

She said: “Someone has to be accountable.

“I want them to sit down and go through his file and see their failings, but come back with something truthful.

“That in itself is enough for me.

“The medical staff involved are forgetting there’s other people at the end of this who are being affected.

“All of what’s gone on isn’t just about the physical, my dad has got to feel wanted, looked after and safe."